In Your Eyes
by Queen of Logical Nonsense
Summary: "Never look a soldier in the eyes" That was the unwritten rule. One of many that kept us alive. But, I just couldn't help myself. In that second, my eyes met his. In them I saw sorrow and fear. I knew, I'd seen them before. Long ago... those sad eyes, in the brighter days. But now, I'm here, risking my life, following those eyes, the boy I once knew, Kai. [WWII Germany AU, Kainora]
1. Unwritten Rules

_**A/N:**_ Hey Everyone! So, I've decided to take on a story that takes the LOK universe way back, into a whole new perspective. In this story, the characters of LOK will be set in World War Two Germany. And thats all I'm going to say for now. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 _ **Pre-Modern AU**_

 ** _Germany 1939/1944_**

* * *

 _"Never look a soldier in the eyes."_

 _That was one of the unwritten rules of our world. One of the many rules that kept us alive, at least for the time being._

 _"Never go out after 8,"_

 _"Never run past policemen"_

 _"Never confront a Soldier"_

 _I knew those rules. I knew that if I wanted to live a peaceful life that I should follow them. After all, I was merely 19, I had a long time ahead of me. I knew that breaking them could land me in a place I didn't want to be. But I just... I couldn't resist._

 _And at that moment, standing there on Brook Street, I looked up at the tall man in a dark uniform, standing there expressionless. As I walked past, I looked straight into his eyes. They were green, beautiful. But they held a deep sadness, a sadness that at that moment stopped me right in my tracks and sent a pit into my stomach._

 _T-those eyes... I knew them. At once a surge of emotions came over me. And as I felt myself loosing consciousness, memories raced through my mind..._

* * *

"roll, roll, roll, roll, pin," A teenage girl hummed as she struggled her hardest to pin up her hair. Her hands trembled from the cold of the early morning air. Determinedly, she attempted to place the small pin upon her head, only resulting in her chocolate hair falling flat at her shoulders. She sighed loudly and made a face at herself in the mirror. Defeated, flung herself onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

She found herself lost in thought. Her mind raced to the fact that this the first day of school, how nervous she was to begin high school, and how she'd always be plain and boring in her mind. She thought of her friends, and of the fun she'd be sure to have all year. With this comforting thought, she felt herself doze off to sleep...

...

 ** _HONK_**

the girl jolted awake to the sound of both her doorbell and the honking of the car outside. she bolted out of bed, ran through the kitchen, right past her family, and out the door with a slam. When she entered the freezing outside, she could feel her face redden and her lips chap. Thats all she could think about until a high-pitched yell filled her ears.

"Joiner!" She suddenly spun around to see two girls, both were 3 years older than her, but were the closest thing she had to sisters. "We're gonna be late!" one of the girls ran up to her and hooked arms with her, pulling her to walk with them.

"S-sorry Asami, I fell back asleep." the girl called Jinora flushed red and flashed an embarrassed smile.

"You look like it!" the second girl, a tall strong looking girl by the name of Korra laughed quietly. Asami, immediately began brushing through Jinora's hair with her fingers, "try pin curling again?" Asami saw right through her with a laugh.

"Y-yeah." She flushed even brighter. Asami was always so well put together, with her hair tied up perfectly, adorned with ribbons and pins. She was never plain, nah thought to herself.

"You look fine," Korra reassured.

Beside her friends, Jinora felt relieved and at ease. As they walked through the snowy streets, all around them they saw posters, all written in the harshest of german. In her town, people had once been filled with happiness and light. But now, the people seemed as cold and frigid as the wintry air that surrounded them. She wasn't sure if it was the winter itself, or the cold darkness of the tall solider men that stood around each day.

The soldiers lined the streets, always seeming to watch certain houses, certain people, certain things. These thing she wasn't sure of, but she did know that there was a trend to it. Chances were, if the solider men watched your house, watched you, you would soon disappear. Because of this, Jinora was scared to death of them, but oldy... fascinated.

As she walked closer and closer to the school yard, she could see one now, a tall solider man. He stood motionless, expressionless, as if to ward off any but of curiosity. But Jinora couldn't help herself, they were terrifying, and intriguing. Everything about them sparked her willingness to understand the world around her. To find out why they had taken the light away from her home. For a moment, she caught a glimpse of his eyes, they were dark, and sad.

Lost in staring at the soilder, Jinora felt Korra suddenly elbow her, as if to stop her from looking that way. She spun her head back to the road in front of her, leaving her daze.

"Jinora, why were you looking at the police like that? They're gonna get angry." Korra warned coldly.

"I was just curious," She hung her head. Korra and Asami exchanged concerned looks. It wasn't like they weren't curious either. But they had seen more than Jinora had, they knew more than she did. And they wanted to do everything to keep it that way.

The Silence was broken by the entering of two more of their friends. Two boys began walking towards them . One was tall, handsome, and shone a cold look. the other was shorter, and sported a messy hair style, and a perfectly happy smile.

"God, do you ever smile Mako?" Korra turned to Mako with her arms crossed. She only scoffed and ignored her completely.

"I mean how could he not smile when he sees you?" The shorter of the two teased, getting a perfectly annoyed reaction out of Mako.

Jinora laughed quietly. The two boys were 3rd years, just like Korra and Asami. They were brothers, Mako and Bolin. They had all been friends for quite a while, and they all looked after Jinora like a little sister, taking her into their group.

The five proceeded into the small building they'd come to call their school. Jinora took a deep breath, then entered through the doors.

* * *

When the doors to her classroom opened, Jinora finally found herself at ease. This was her place, were she could learn and She walked in, bid the teacher a good morning, and walked her way to the back of the classroom. As she walked to her seat, out of the corner of her eyes she noticed a new face. It was the face of a boy, staring out of the window in the seat beside hers.

For a second, her eyes met his, and Jinora stood surprised. His eyes were dark, but they weren't cold. In his expression she felt a sadness, a sadness like she had seen around here lately, a sadness she saw in the eyes of only the dark soldiers. It was a sadness that had seen darkness, a sadness she couldn't understand.

Nothing she was staring, she suddenly tuned her head away and sat quickly in her chair. For a moment she didn't say a thing, impatiently waiting for the class to start so that she might not embarrass herself any more that day. The seconds seemed to take years to pass, and she tapped her feet, stressed to her core.

But after a few moments she couldn't hold it in anymore, tuned to her left and asked the boy.

"A-are you new here?", she uttered. The boy turned to greet her with his sad eyes, but then flashed a broken smile.

"Y-yeah, I've come to this city living with my grandmother," He said kindly.

"Thats cool, and do you like it here?" she felt a warm smile come along to her face.

"Its nice, but pretty darn cold," he flashed a dorky smile at her, causing her to giggle a bit. After a moment passed, she took up all of her courage and said confidently, "I'm Jinora, welcome." She smiled brightly. She stood surprised for a second, but then matched her smile.

"I'm Kai," she spoke softly. For a moment, she couldn't think of a single word to say. She found herself again getting lost in his eyes. She couldn't help it, she simply couldn't understand him, and how she wanted to.

It was in that moment that one of the greatest and worst times in Jinora life would begin, in that moment she decided, she would one day understand him...

that she would understand the sadness in the eyes of the new boy, that she would understand Kai.

* * *

 _That was the first time I met him... the first moment that I met the boy that would change my life. That boy... was this soldier, standing there in the uniform of the people I feared most._

 _That boy, Kai, that I once knew. That I once loved... he was here, in the place I lived, he was there. He was there for me to talk to again, for me to be with again, for me to love again. But yet, he was here with the people that took him from me, he was here, and I wasn't even allowed to look at him._

 _But then I thought to myself... when have I ever followed the rules anyway?_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! I've really done by best to try to capture the setting and complication of this setting! and I really hope you stick around for more!

Just to Clarify, Jinora is telling the story, and when in Italics, from her point of view. The story will cover both periods of time, of the past and present.

I'll update soon!

Luvs,

~Astrid


	2. Gray Skies

**_A/N:_** Hey everyone, I hope you're enjoying this so far! I just wanted to clarify that the story is told in two ways. Part of it is told in the point of view of an older Jinora, as indicated by the _Italics._ The rest of it, written in plain text, is meant to be Jinora's Memories of the past, as told by an undisclosed narrator. And if it was unclear, in the last chapter, Jinora had seen Kai as a soldier, and for some tragic reason, she hasn't seen him in a while, and thought she never would.

Alright, I hope that clears everything up! Enjoy!

* * *

 ** _WWII AU_**

 ** _Germany 1939/1944_**

* * *

 _I guess I should introduce myself properly then, before I tell you my_ _story. My name is Jinora, Jinora Wagner. I live in the south side of Germany, a place that was once full of light, wonder, and beauty. But now, its overrun with smoke, gray skies, and the sirens of war. Its almost unbelievable, how much my world has changed in the past couple years. But I guess I've come to accept it. I've come to accept the terrible place I call my homeland._

 _I belong to a rather large family, filled with people that I'm related to by blood, and others by spirit. Over the years, the many of us have come to live together, protect each other. I was now living with Mako, Bolin, Korra and Asami, along with the rest of my family. We were all quite different, and butt heads quite a few times. But we had each others back, aways. Because the reality of it is, sad stories bond people together._

 _Everyone has sad stories, things they'd rather forget. And up until that day I honestly had tried my best to forget. I tried to push back all the hurtful memories of a few years ago. I did my best to convince myself that I'd never see him again, that he'd never speak to me again, that he's never be mine again. I had bonded all hope when it came to Kai. And honestly I'd rather keep it that way._

 _But now, here, I saw him again. He was here, he was close again. He... was a soldier._

 _The realization that he was with the people who had caused all the pain in the world kept me awake all night. After I saw him, I hurried myself home, and tried to forget, tried to push back that hope. But Still... I wanted to see him again. I had to see him again._

 _The next morning, I hopped out of bed and straight over to my closet, waking up Asami and Korra in the process._

 _"Gahh" Korra groaned as I opened up the curtains, letting in the gray light. "Why are you up so early?" She covered her head with her pillow. The three of us shared a large bed, it was the only way we'd all be able to stay in the house. Though it'd been over 2 years, korra still wasn't accustomed to my early morning rising. Asami was still fast asleep, it seemed as if nothing could wake her._

 _"I gotta get to work," I tied up my hair, tied my shoes, and was out of the house within the minute._

 _"Jinora!" My little sister called after me as I ran out the door. "Aren't you going to eat breakfast?"_

 _"No time!" I shouted back as I ran down the sunlight streets. I worked as a tailor for a rich woman that lived in a grand estate. It was a good job, I job I was thankful for. But today, all I wanted to do was to get a chance to look for him again. I wanted to see him again. And I wanted to speak to him. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm so set on seeing him again, and why I haven't for a while... but all in good time, I'm sure you'll understand._

 _At work, I mended and folded, ironed and washed, over and over again. My hands seemed to move all on their own, absent-mindedly working away. My mind wandered, back to the past..._

* * *

Most days, the sky was completely gray. But today the sun shined through, and sparkled against the snow. It was beautiful, the young Jinora thought to herself. It was her first day of high school, and yet, she couldn't focus even if her life depended on it. That was so very unlike her. She couldn't understand why she couldn't just immerse herself in her studies like she usually could. Her eyes just kept wandered to the mysterious new boy sitting beside her.

Hours passed, and before she knew it, the bell had chimed, And she sat by herself in the school yard, eating her lunch quietly. She watched the other kids all around her. She saw the girls mindlessly talking away, the small children on the swing, and a few boys horribly bullying another. Then, she noticed that mysterious boy, walk over and stand beside her, with his head turned the other way.

Feeling quite awkward, but determined to say something, Jinora took a deep breath, and said kindly,

"Don't you have anything to eat?" she giggled. He turned to her with a nonchalant expression.

"Naw, I don't really need anything anyways," he remarked cooly.

"Mhh hmm? Here, take this," and she handed him an apple out of her bag.

"What?" He stared up at her.

"There aren't many of those left, so take it," she smiled, extending the red fruit out to him.

"Are you sure?" He asked skeptically.

"Silly, its an apple, just take it." She laughed,

"Well thats real nice of you," he shone a bright dorky smile. He took a seat beside her, taking a bite out of the fruit. Truth be told, that was the only apple Jinora had had in the last 2 years. Fruit was scarce now, making them quite the treat. But she didn't mind, not at all.

"So, whats the deal around here? Is it always this gloomy?" he turned to her and remarked.

"Well actually, this is one of the brightest days I've seen in a while." She giggled.

"Seriously?! It looks like it could rain at any second." he crossed he arms and sighed.

"Well whats it like where you're from?"

"Green," he smirked, getting a laugh out of her.

"That sounds beautiful," she sighed deeply.

"It is. But I mean, where I'm from we don't have these exquisite grey skies," He mocked sarcastically, "Its fog and smoke is without compare," He winked at her. They laughed together loudly at the thought. Jinora, blushed, without reason, embarrassing herself. And with that the bell rang loudly, causing Jinora to get up and start walked back into class. But before she took a step, he called out after her,

"Hey Jinora," she turned around and looked at him puzzled,

"Yeah?"

"Thanks" He smiled genuinely.

* * *

 _I remember that day like no other. That day we became friends. Funnily enough, it was one of the days I had tried to forget the most after **it** happened. But it was one of my favorite memories, especially now. _

_After I was finished with my work, I left the estate, and quickly made my way back to the square. As I walked briskly, I heard loud shouting and the drops of rain that began to fall around me. I rushed down, dropping my bags. When I reached the square, I saw the usual sight, a crowd of people surrounded the doors of a shop. I squeezed my way though the shouting crown and made my way to see the soldier, our so called "police", dragging out and lining up people along the sidewalk._

 _My eyes widened as I noticed who they were. Two men, Three women and a small child, all with a dull yellow star stitched to their jackets. I recognized one of the women, Opal Beifong. I could barely stand to watch as the soldiers forced all of them to their knees, and pushed them down against the cobble sidewalks. For a moment, Opal's eyes met mine, and in her eyes, I saw a fear like no other. A fear that knew what was coming.I looked away... I couldn't bare to see that fear any longer._

 _I felt tears come to my eyes. Those people, Opal, that little girl, all of them, were going to be taken away. As they piled them into the car, muffling their cries and the crowd's objections. Soon, they were loaded into car, and it drove away, splashing the dirty water that fell from the skies. The soldiers then did their best to disperse the crowd. But I stood still, not moving a muscle._

 _Within a few minutes I was the only one left standing there on that street corner. I saw my tears fall unto the ground and splash into a puddle. Things like this happened every day, more and more people being taken away. More and more people, disappearing._

 _"What are you doing?" I heard a loud voice, and looked up to see two soldiers walking towards me. I only looked to the ground. "Miss, what are you doing?" He said again sharply. I ignored the question again. And suddenly the first motioned the second to take action. I prepared myself to face their wrath, today, I had no tolerance. "What is your business here?!" The first yelled and the second grabbed my shoulders forcefully and turned me to face him._

 _In that moment, my eyes met the eyes of that second soldier, the one that hadn't said a thing. When they did, my eyes widened in_ _disbelief. thos green eyes... it was him, again. Again I was standing face to face with Kai, the Kai I hadn't seen in so many years. His eyes instantly widened, I knew he recognized me, I knew he remembered he, I knew he did._

 _"What are you doing here miss?!" The first shouted very loudly at me. I only looked up to Kai, straight into his eyes, with one tear falling from my face, said sharply,_

 _"I'm only leaving, Sir." I said solemnly, and he immediately let go of my shoulders, He began to back away from be slowly._

 _"Get along then!" The first yelled back at me and shoved me aside. Only last time, I looked back at that second soldier, at Kai, then turned, and walked away._

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** Next time, we get to meet some new characters! new situations, and learn more about Kai and Jinora's past.I hope you guys are enjoying this so far, and that the set up isn't too confusing!

Let me know what you think!

Luvs,

~Astrid


	3. Strangers

**Pre-Modern AU**

 **Germany 1939/1944**

* * *

"Hmm Hmm Hmmm" A young girl hummed a little tune as she trudged through the winter snow. On her way home from school, she couldn't help but think of the boy she'd met that day. Her mind was absorbed with him, his smile, the things he said to her, his deep green eyes. She could hardly focus on the world around her. Suddenly, the air grew cold around her, and small flakes of snow began to fall onto her face. She smiled, as the cold wind flushed her cheeks bright red.

The sun was beginning to set, and she knew she had to hurry home. Walking a little faster, she noticed a group of soldiers standing all around the town square, surrounding a large crowd of people. She hid her eyes, afraid of the men in the dark uniforms. but suddenly she felt a warmth coming from the square. Jinora didn't know what was going on, so naturally, she was curious. But what she saw, was one of the saddest sights she had ever seen. When she finally reached the crowd, she noticed they were burning things, burning books, scrolls, literature, paintings, scripts of music, beautiful things.

The worst part, it that when she looked all around her, the people cheered. Even the young children around her, smiling, shouting triumphant words as i f they had somehow defeated an enemy.

Jinora backed away slowly, terrified of what she saw. How could they possibly burn such beautiful things. She thought to herself, "how could they...". A tear ran own her cheek at the sight of all the precious arts and knowledge that was forever burned from the word. Unable to bear the sight anymore, she ran away, never wanting to see such a thing again.

She ran through the square, down the streets, and once she reached her home, slammed the door behind her. and slid down the old wooden door, shivering from the cold, and shaken up. In her ears, the cheering of the people echoed, and the burning embers flashed before her eyes.

"Jinora," Pema, the girl's mother turned to see her shaking against the door. With that, tears began to fall down Jinora's face, and she buried her face in her arms. Surprised, Pema immediately fell to the floor and held Jinora in her arms.

"M-mom, t-they burned them," snuggling into her mother's warm arms.

"W-what sweetie?" Her mother's soothing voice coaxed as she stroked her hair.

"Books, music, all of it," Her voice suddenly turned angry and cold, "and they cheered, and smiled." Pema's eyes grew wide at her words."Why would they do that?" Pema sighed at her question.

"Oh baby," The mother soothed, "Its just, a lot of people, don't see the beauty in it. They're not like you. They see anything new and different, and they just, just don't understand."

"Thats crazy," Jinora pouted, hiding her sadness under a stubborn coat.

"I know, I know. Sadly, the world around us is changing."

Jinora knew she was right. Things were different. Though Germany hadn't get began to declare war, everyone knew that was the inevitable end.

* * *

 _That was a memory, a memory that stuck with me. That was the moment everything began to set in; the moment that all the beautiful things in life started vanishing all around me; the moment I realized, the country I lived in, wasn't the great and noble land every said it always was. Even now, every day I'm shocked by the things I see. Like today, when I saw Opal being brought to her knees by those soldiers, and when I saw Kai..._ _Everyday I'm reminded of this cold world I live in._

 _When I reached home, I walked straight into my bedroom, and fell straight back on my bed with a sigh._

 _"Why're you so gloomy all of a sudden?" The bright voice of Korra came from the desk in the corner of the room._

 _"Well its not like its been the happiest around here lately either." Asami joked with her gentle voice. They both laughed quietly, going about their business. Korra sad busily studying for her_ _nursing exam, and Asami brushed her hair and powdered her face._

 _"I saw Opal get taken away," I muttered, silencing both of them in a second. As I said the words, a tear began to form in my eye. For a brief moment, there was no sound, until I sat up to see both of them looking at me with the most terrified expressions. Asami had tears falling down her face, and Korra was blank-faced._

 _"D-does Bolin know?" Korra stuttered, trying her best not to show how obviously saddened she was._

 _"I assume not." I choked. Opal was Bolin's Fiancé, and a dear friend of all of us. Opal was a jew, and for them... nothing was easy. No one liked to speak about what happened to the Jews... even though we all knew what fate they had if they were taken. Little by little, less and less stars were found around the some reason, this country hated them. Not because they had done anything wrong, but because they were different. And that somehow made them less than human. This was one of the many things I could never understand._

 _"H-has he come home yet?" I asked, wiping my tears._

 _"N-no... He said he'll have to be out late tonight in the office," Korra_ _Answered calmly. None of us said anything, but we all wrestled with whether or not we should tell him... or let the inevitable happen. He knew It was wrong to keep it from him. But none of us wanted to be the one to give him the news that would without a doubt break his heart to a million pieces. After a few moments of silence, I decided._

 _"I'll tell him, first thing when I wake tomorrow," I stated strongly._

 _"J-Jinora..." Sami started, looking at me with a scared face._

 _"If I don't, who will?"" I hatred at her determinedly. Reluctantly, she nodded._

 _"Make sure that he's with all of us all day tomorrow, he's going to need it."_ _Korra walked over to the lamp, and turned off the light._ _"For now, I think we should all get some sleep." I nodded, and the three of us got into the bed._

 _I couldn't sleep, not a wink. All I could think about was Kai... but I couldn't tell them that. Couldn't think of telling Korra and Asami that I'd seen him. The news of Opal brought enough stress to all of us. After about an hour minutes of lying there sleepless, in the stillness of midnight, I heard the door to the house creak open. I knew it was Bolin but he sound of his footsteps. But for some reason, there was another sound._

 _The sound of a muffled cry._

 _I slipped out of bed, and tip-toed into the kitchen where the sound was coming from. From behind the door, I saw Bolin, sitting at the table with it head collapsed into his hands as he sobbed. I knew he knew. I watched for another moment, until I couldn't bare it any longer. He cried out, his tears soaking the table. I felt a warm tear on my cheek, as my eyes watered at the sight. I was about to begin sobbing until I felt a strong hand on my shoulder._

 _I looked up with my tear-stained eyes to see Mako, Standing behind me, staring straight at the broken Bolin. He looked down at me, and squeezed my shoulder. I clutched unto his shirt, unable to stand hearing the sorrowful cries come from the always happy Bolin. We stood there, unable to say a thing to comfort him. I knew how it felt... I knew what losing someone you loved felt like. But for the life of me, I couldn't think of a single thing to say._

 _I felt in my heart, looking at him, a sorrow, deep and painful, but also an anger. It was an anger for this wretched place, this place that took away the people we loved. My heart burned with this anger, and I knew Mako felt it too. It was a feeling I couldn't_ _ignore... a hatred for those that caused this much pain._

 _I just... couldn't understand._

* * *

 _The next morning, no one heard from or saw Bolin. He stayed alone in he and Mako's room. No one dared enter, because no one could find anything to say to him to ease the pain._

 _But amongst this sorrow, my life trudged on. I was forced to get up, put on a smile, and get to work. My face was red and puffy from crying. But still, I walked, carrying my bags throughout the town. Though I was sad for Bolin, I had my own wretched selfish desires... my mind only thought about Kai. How I wished to see him again. the last time we'd met, I know he realized who I was. He looked... surprised that I was even I alive. But I don't blame him. After what happened... I'm surprised he and I are both alive._

 _I don't know why, but I had this desire, I hoped and wished he was thinking of me. How I wanted him to think of me. I wanted him to remember everything we were, everything we had. I wanted to know him again..._

 _As I worked, again I thought of him. Him and his sad eyes. In these past five years... I've tried so hard to forget. I'd almost succeeded, until that one day. Once I was finished with my work, I made my way to the store, to pick up some things to cook a stew. We hardly had any good vegetables or spices anymore. But we did have one thing, beans... and lots of them. I scrounged up all the money I'd made and bought some onions, beans, corn, and some sausage._

 _I carried my bags through the cold town square, walking against the strong winds of this supposed to be summer. Hopefully soon some color will come back. Some light will come back into my world. Maybe thats why I'm clinging so_ _tightly to the idea of seeing Kai. Maybe this was just me chasing a light, hoping it'll come and bring with it happiness for me._

 _Suddenly, the wind began to pick up even harder, and I could barely stand my ground against it. with one powerful gust it knocked all the groceries out of my hands. I scrambled to pick them up in a flurry, keeping my head down. Until one moment, as I saw two black shoes appear before my eyes. I scrambled to my feet. I expected to see a soldier, but when I looked up, I saw none other than Kai._

 _But he wasn't in is soldiers clothes, he was dresses as a civilian. I guess even they were given their days of rest. He bent down and picked up the rest of my groceries, avoiding eye contact with me. I could hardly process what was happening at that moment, I could hardly breath. We both stood up and for one moment he looked me straight in the eyes. He looked so confused and sad, almost as much as I was. Oh how I wanted to just hug him... but I knew... things were different. He and I, we were strangers, pretending like we knew nothing of_ _each other._

 _"Be Careful," His Raspy quiet voice warned me._

 _"I will, thank you," I immediately found my face flushing bright red. But I gained my composure, and smiled kindly at him, causing his eyes to grow wide. And with that, he and I parted ways. I wished at that moment I knew what he was feeling. I wished I knew what he was thinking, I wished that he wanted to talk to me more as much as I wanted to talk to him._

 _But I knew... this was how it had to be._

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** Hey Guys! Thank you so much for all the support you're all giving me! I'm so glad you're enjoying my story! And I really hope you like this chapter! I really hope it isn't too sad. I really enjoyed writing this..

Thanks so much! I'll update soon, be sure to let me know what you think!

Luvs,

~Astrid


	4. Ginger Candies

_**A/N:** Hello everyone! I think I've decided to update this story in waves of two chapters in a row. To satisfy you all enough until I can find time again~ I hope you enjoy this!_

* * *

 _ **Pre-Modern AU**_

 _ **Germany 1939/1948**_

* * *

 _In that moment, the moment Kai's eyes met mine; the moment he spoke to me, though it was short, it filled me with an_ _indescribable feeling. It made me giddy, like a little girl when she sees her crush at school. It made me feel like I used to. I tried my best to push down these feelings. We were in the middle of a war, everything was terrible, how did I have to the nerve to be getting excited and gush over a boy again. I'm not a little girl anymore, I should't be so focused on things like this._

 _The next day, things went as normal. Bolin still stayed in his room, not even leaving for food. It was a difficult time for us all at the house. Early summer was upon us, meaning the house was full of people sneezing and getting colds. I tied a scarf around my_ _head, and early that morning, I was off to work. The house I worked at was... well, interesting. I was a seamstress and housekeeper, working for a very wealthy couple. However, they weren't the typical sort of high-soceity people you'd expect. You see, he was a businessman, inventor, and not all right in the head. And she, she was his partner in crime, following him in whatever crazy things he was doing that day._

 _I worked for Sir Iknik Blackstone Varrick, and his wife, Zhu Li. As I approached the grand, very odd looking house, I was immediately was scared to death by a huge explosion sound. I crouched down onto my feet, clutching my basket. It boomed, and the scent of smoke filled the air. Immediately my heart dropped. It couldn't have been a bombing... much too small of an explosion. But what else? Suddenly, I turned around to see the large workshop to the left of the manor. Its doors burst open, causing a cloud of smoke to come piling out, along with Sir Varrick and and some other of his workmen come out coughing. I ran over to them, expecting someone to be hurt, but I was abruptly stopped by Varrick shouting in a loud voice,_

 _"DID YOU SEE THAT?! HA HA!" He shouted excitedly, grabbing onto my shoulders._

 _"W-what exactly did you do?" I asked, laughing a bit at his hysterical enthusiasm. His whole outfit was stained in soot, and his goggled clouded to the brim._

 _"What did I do? Oh what did I do you ask? Nothing... just completely revolutionized the world of cooking!" He animately began swinging his arms all over the place, and then suddenly pointed his finger at me. "Tell me Jinora, do you ever want to cook a roast,but don't have nearly enough time to do it?" He stared at me with twitchy eyes like an over-excited child._

 _"I-I guess," I stuttered, preparing myself for whatever far-fetched explanation I knew he would give me._

 _"But not anymore! I've done it, come up with the ultimate way to cook meat in seconds, with highly pressurized heated gas!" He said smiling oddly._

 _"Yeah but you're going to burn our house down in the process." A quiet yet stern voice came from behind me, it was Lady Zhu Li._

 _"Ah my love but I can just buy us a new house then!" He stated, hugging her tightly, while she struggled to get away._

 _"Just don't explode anything anymore today alright," she said funnily._

 _"Fine fine, but explosions are but a small pice to pay for progress!" He shouted, running back into his office._

 _"Come in dear, I'm sorry he scared you," She smiled as I picked up my basket and proceeded into the house._

 _"Its all alright." I nodded, laughing. Once we were in the house, untied the scarf from my head and pinned by hair up. I tied on my apron and began to work_ _organizing the parlor. Yes the place I worked was crazy, but it was always interesting. They were kind to me, and there was always something exciting and new happening here. It was one of the places in mu dull world that I found color._

 _I worked for about 10 minutes, as lady Zhu lu turned through the pages of a catalogue. I was to get paid extra for making the two new clothes for the summer, only the finest. Busy at my work, I almost dropped my mop at the startling sound,_

 _ **"Knock, Knock, Knock,"** Someone pounded on the door. At once, I proceeded to the door._

 _"My god who could be that rude," Zhu li muttered, regaining her composure._

 _I dusted off my apron and opened the door, terrified at the sight I saw. There were five soldiers standing there._

 _"We've come investigating the suspected use of firearms heard here," The first said in a terribly stern voice._

 _"J-jinora," Zhu li's Voice shook from behind me. "Put on some coffee," I nodded quickly, hurrying my way back into the kitchen. I could hardly_ _breathe. I couldn't hear what they were talking about. all my mind could think about it that there were soldiers there... soldiers that could be with Kai, or soldiers that could take us in seconds._

 _"I gathered up the tray, placed the coffee kettle and some mugs on it. I took a deep breath before opening the door to the parlor, my stomach couldn't calm itself, butterflies flew like mad. With another deep breath, I opened the door. Around the table, I saw Varrick, sitting talking with 3 of the 5_ _guards. In the corner I saw Zhu li, desperately trying to make conversation with the other two._

 _Kai wasn't among the 3 speaking to Varrick, and I couldn't make out the faces of the other two from far away. I quickly set down the coffee at the table, getting a chance to hear Varrick's blabbering on about pressure cooking. Immediately, Zhu Li motioned be over to join her._

 _"Officers, would you like some coffee," Zhu Li asked. Of the two officers, one hung his head down, and stood further away from us._

 _"And who is this?" The first of the two asked sternly, referring to me._

 _"My Housekeeper sir,"_

 _"What's her name?"_

 _"Thats not your business to know." Zhu li snarked. I gasped a bt at her brave response to the officers._

 _"I'm Jinora Wagner." I stated plainly._

 _"Thank you," the first officer pulled out a sheet of paper, and scribbled something on it. Zhu Li's eyes grew wide with fear. We both knew he took my name down._

 _I took a deep breath and I handed the first officer his coffee. He took it from me with a stern grasp. Looking down, I handed the second cup to the second officer His expression was frozen, but he took the cup from me and nodded. With that, I left the room, my heart feeling like it had fallen all the way down to my feet. I backed myself up against the door for support, breathing heavily._

 _I just thanked God that Kai wasn't among them... if he was, I don't know what I would have done._

* * *

"Hold on, you've never tried candied ginger?" A young boy with a shaggy undercut leaned in towards his friend with a shocked expression on his face.

"Ginger? Its so spicy though," The young Jinora playfully stuck out her tongue at him. It had been about a week since that first day of school when they met. And since that say, the two, Jinora and Kai, had sat together at break each and everyday of school.

"Its delicious!" Kai smirked back at her. "I tell you what, we go to the sweet shop after school and I prove to you how good it is?" He stated bravely, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Deal," She smiled back at him. This would be the first time she'd ever done anything with him outside of school. After school had finished, the two walked together through the snow, and into the town square. There was a small little candy shop, the only one in the whole county. Jinora had only been in that store a few times, it was rare that she ever had enough spare money to. But every birthday, she was allowed to pick out one thing.

"Two pieces of candied ginger please," Kai stated to the man at the counter, placing two coins down. With a nod, the man handed him two sugary sticks.

"Here," Kai handed one of them to Jinora. She looked at it with an odd expression. The sugar sparkled on the long yellow piece of candy. Skeptically, Jinora took a bight of the odd candy. Ad first, it was delightfully sweet, but then it became bitter and spicy.

"Gah." Jinora coughed a bit, causing Kai to laugh. "Its so spicy,"

"C'mon Jin you're making it seem so much worse than it is," He smirked, taking a bight out of the strange candy.

"Jin?" She giggled.

"Ya know, Jinora, ginger, Jin? Makes sense." He smirked while laughing. She laughed back at him. That day, Jinora decided she liked ginger candy, not because it was good or anything, but because it made her think of him.

* * *

 _After about an hour, all the soldiers left, and shortly after, so did I. All the stress of the day was too much to bare. It was like somehow, all of a sudden things were becoming more and more complicated. And everywhere I went, I_ _couldn't avoid seeing him. Not that I wanted to, but I just couldn't think of a single thing to say._

 _As I walked home from work, I made my way through the square, and into the small little candy shop. There wasn't much left, considering our lack of sugar. But there was some left of one particular candy. It was a candy that well-suited today, sweet, but incredibly bitter and spicy. I took my bit of candied ginger into the square and sat myself on a tiny bench. My face puckered at its odd flavor, but it was a treat I'd come to love after all these years._

 _"Candied ginger huh?" a raspy voice came up from in front of me. I dared not look up. I knew who it was very well. I composed myself, and looked up and smiled at the man standing before me, Kai. This was really the first time I'd gotten a good chance to look at him. He's changed quite a lot, his features were sharper, he's had grown quite handsome. It made my stomach began to knot up._

 _"Yeah, its the only candy we really have now." I smiled politely._

 _"D-do you mind If I sit here?" He asked kindly. At this moment, it seemed as if all of my selfish desires were being_ _fulfilled._

 _"Not at all," and with that he sat next to me, causing my stomach to tighten up. There was a brief silence, perhaps from both of us being completely unable to think of a thing to say._

 _"So you're a soldier? I've seen you before, around here." He asked plainly._

 _"Partly, I've been conscripted in return for my citizenship here."_

 _"I see..." I knew that wasn't true. I knew that was just something he said so I wouldn't worry. "But aren't you not supposed to act as a civilian."_

 _"Well you see, most guys spend there free time off in the taverns. But I'd rather be out, I've had enough of dark rooms."_

 _"Makes sense. Though its not like out here is much different." I joked. The awkward tension was too much for me to handle. After a few more moment of silence, He stood up._

 _"thanks for giving me some of your time miss." He smiled his same old dorky smile at me, causing a tear to come to my eyes, Before he could walk away though, I muttered,_

 _"I- I didn't think I'd ever see you again." I choked. Suddenly he turned around with the saddest yet most happy expression I'd ever seen in my life. He looked straight at me with those big, sad green eyes._

 _"Ya know for a second there Jin, I actually thought you forgot me."_

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm sorry so sorry for the cliffhangers, I know they suck ;~;

Thank you for all the support, I'll update soon! Let me know what you thought of this chapter!

Luvs,

~Astrid


	5. Funny

_**A/N:**_ I hope you all are enjoying it so far! I just want to thank all of you for the support and feedback you've given me! Also, I apologize for the long wait!

* * *

 _ **Pre-Modern AU**_

 _ **Germany 1939/1944**_

* * *

 _From the moment that he looked into my eyes and smiled that day, even up till now, late into the night, I can't stop thinking about him. It seemed as if some sort of miracle had happened. Thats a terribly cliche thing to think, I know. But having him back here in my town, in this place where I can see him, where I spoke to him, it all seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe I was getting my hopes too high._

 _That definitely was a possibility. Maybe having him here made me feel like a little girl again. It brought back my sense of blissful ignorance of the impending suffering and naive thoughts of living happily ever after like in a storybook. I know that isn't the reality, I know far too well. I remember what happened, I remember that day like a nightmare you simply can't shake. And I know it will continue to haunt me._

 _But still, he was here. And that has to mean something good._

 _We talked on that bench together for just 5 short minutes, interrupted by his call to duty. Though short, it was all I needed. And quite honestly, all I was ready for. Yes I was glad to see him, and yes I felt the butterflies just the same as I did all those years ago. But despite that, he's different. Its been five years, He's changed, and for sure I've changed without a doubt._

 _But thats not something that deters me at all, it intrigues me. I don't know him now, but I want to. I want to know him again. And I know I'll see him again. Every thought that clouded my head was probably all irrational and wishful thinking, but in a summer without a single ray of sunshine, you have to believe in something._

 _"Ey um Jinora, we have coffee on." I heard Asami say gently, standing in the doorway to our room._

 _"Oh I'll be right in" I sat up and pulled myself out of bed drowsily. I walked through the narrow hallway quietly, sure not to wake my little sister, sound asleep in the couch in the front room. We didn't have enough the space or money to get another bed to put in after we moved homes. In the old house we lived in, with my mother and my father and two other brothers, we had plentiful space. But within those five years, my mother had moved to be with her mother, and taken my brothers with her, leaving me and Ikki in the care of Korra, Asami, Bolin, and Mako._

 _As I walked into the kitchen, I saw I sight I didn't expect to see. There was Korra, Asami, and Mako sitting around the small round table... with Bolin. This was the first time he showed in his face since a week ago when Opal..._

 _There was a tension in the air, not adversarial, but a tension between a heartbroken man, and his friends who couldn't think of a thing to say. All this time, I'd kept Kai coming back into town a secret from everyone. I felt that saying that would just makes things so much worse. So I held my tongue, and sad down beside Asami._

 _"Bolin has something he wants to tell us" Mako stated dryly, clearing the air._

 _"Oh?" Korra inquired, desperately curious and awkward. I took a sip of my coffee._

 _"I'm leaving." Bolin Sighed, pushing his hair back from his face._

 _"What do you mean you're leaving?" Korra stood up suddenly, creating quite a loud noise._

 _"I'm taking a job up further north." He said plainly, obviously trying to avoid emotion, although he was obviously on the brink of crying._

 _"But we need you here!" Mako defended._

 _"Here is absolutely terrible Mako!" Bolin shouted, silencing the room. There were very few times where Bolin ever raised his voice. But when he did, there was nothing more saddening than his shaky voice. There was nothing anyone could say after that. We knew he was right, it was horrible here. He'd lost the most important thing to him... he had no reason to stay. We all knew Opal was the reason he was leaving, but no one dared say that to him._

 _You're right," I stuttered, unintentional causing Bolin to focus his gaze on me. There was so much pain in his eyes, a heart wrenching pain of loneliness and despair. "Bolin I have nothing I can say to comfort you, but please... don't go." My voice shook, causing tears to come to his eyes, and his composed face melted into sobbing once more._

 _In that moment Korra stood up, and give him the warmest hug, followed my Asami and I , and finally Mako. The five of us had been through a lot together, we were the fighters. We were family, people that would unconditionally be there for each other. Even though we couldn't find the things to say... words weren't what Bolin needed from us._

 _That night, I fell asleep peacefully, well as peacefully as I could._

* * *

"You're awfully happy today". Korra joked, catching the excited Jinora off guard. Jinora had been walking to school a little faster that usual today.

"Yeah even yesterday you were smiling the whole times through history class." Bolin Jumped into the conversation by teasing Jinora playfully.

"Maybe she just likes history," Mako scoffed dryly, pushing his hair back with his hands.

"Way to have a sense of humor," Korra mocked Mako, laughing. Jinora giggled, finally happy the subject had changed. Truth be told, she was happy, though she wasn't exactly sure why.

After a few short minutes of walking to school, Jinora found herself once again sitting at her desk.

"Ay Jin," She felt a tapping on her shoulder. She turned around to see none other than Kai, smiling. She smiled back at him.

"Oh hey,"

"Walk home with me today?" He asked quickly.

"Of course." Jinora smiled sweetly, returning to her homework. The rest of the day passed on like a dream.

"So tell me something." Kai started, on their walk home. "Do they always walk with you?" he laughed, pointing to Mako, Korra, Asami, and Bolin walking ahead of us.

"Yeah, they're like family to me. Our parents work together."

"I see." He put his hands behind his neck. "So how would it be if we suck off?"

"Snuck off?"

"Ran away from em, just for a little bit."

"I-I don't know."

"C'mon Jin, Please." He shone a huge dorky smile, causing her to laugh.

"alright." she laughed.

The two quietly snuck away from the others, making their way quietly downtown to the square. After grabbing a few candies, they sad toetgher at a park bench. For a minute, Jinora couldn't say a thing, probably from happiness. But in a moment the silence was broken, and Jinora noticed Kai staring at a group of soldiers. They were moving a poor group of people into the backs of cars... something that wasn't exactly uncommon anymore.

"Funny isn't it"

"What are you talking about?" She looked up shocked at his words.

"Ya know, how people can think they're entitled to take away someone else's happiness." he stared blankly at the scene. That was the first time since the day she met him that she saw the sadness. That sadness in his eyes shone intrigued her beyond belief. She knew she couldn't just go up and ask him out of the blue what his story was, she had to wait.

This however, wasn't something she minded. Whenever she was with him, she found herself smiling more, laughing more, forgetting more... and that, that was worth waiting for.

"Yeah... funny."

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ Hey Luvs, hope you all enjoyed this! the next chapter will come right away! I apologize for the long wait, I'm afraid I've been terribly busy, but I promise the next one will be long and clear up to suspicions!


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